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Scottish Beekeepers' Association Supporting Scotland's Bees and Beekeepers |
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A confirmed finding of Asian hornet north of the Mendip Hills in Somerset.
As with the first sighting, work to find, destroy and remove any nests is already underway, and includes:
• setting up a three mile surveillance zone around the location of the initial sighting
• opening a local control centre to coordinate the response
• deploying bee inspectors across the area who will use infrared cameras and traps to locate any nests
• readying nest disposal experts who will use pesticides to kill the hornets and destroy any nests
Bee inspectors in Somerset will be supported by nest disposal experts who will use an approved pesticide to destroy any hornets and remove any nests.
The first Asian hornet confirmed in the UK was discovered in the Tetbury area. A nest in the area has since been found, treated with pesticide and destroyed. No further live Asian hornets have been sighted in the area since the nest was removed.
Husbandry Advice:
It is very important that beekeepers remain vigilant and monitor their apiaries and surrounding forage for any Asian hornet activity. At this time of the year, Asian hornets can be seen foraging on the ivy for nectar and preying on other foraging insects for protein.
Traps should also be hung out and closely monitored. When using bait, please refrain from using light beer or lager mixed with sugar as this does not work. In France a Dark beer, mixed with 25ml of strawberry syrup and 25ml of orange liqueur has proven to work well.
Additionally, a protein bait of mashed fish e.g. prawns or trout, diluted to 25% has also proven effective. Anyone wishing to make their own traps may find the following factsheet useful: How to make a homemade Asian hornet monitoring trap.
Further guidance on identifying the Asian hornet can be found on the Asian hornet pages of Beebase where you will find a very useful Asian hornet ID sheet and Asian hornet poster. Any suspected Asian hornet sightings should be reported to alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk.
If you are not sure, please still send in a sample for ID or report any sightings. When emailing, please include your name, the location of the sighting and if possible, a photograph of the hornet. Please do not put yourself in any danger of getting stung when trying to take a photo.
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An Asian hornet nest (image 1) has been located and destroyed by experts in the Tetbury area. The nest (image 2) was found at the top of a 55 foot tall conifer tree (image 3). Inspectors from the National Bee Unit are continuing to monitor the area for Asian hornets alongside local beekeepers. However to date, no live hornets have been seen since the nest was removed.
We urge anyone to report suspect Asian hornet sightings to alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk.
Further guidance on the Asian hornet can be found on the Asian hornet pages of Beebase where you will find a very useful Asian hornet ID sheet sheet and Asian hornet poster which is available for identification purposes.
Image and article courtesy of The National bee Unit
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The period after the main spring honey flow is an excellent time to check the health of the brood in your colonies, assuming that you have mated and laying queens. European foulbrood is most easily spotted in June and if the infection is relatively light you may be able to save the colony under the direction of the bee inspectors. EFB in particular can be mimicked when young workers fail to feed larvae properly (heavy pressure from Varroa, chalkbrood or in a drone laying colony). American foulbrood requires destruction of the colony but as its spread from colony to colony is relatively slow you may be able to save other colonies in the apiary.
Read all about performing brood disease inspections and details of the foulbrood diseases: DOWNLOAD HERE
In Scotland any suspicions of foulbrood disease must be reported to the inspectorate.
Gavin Ramsay
Bee Health Officer
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There has been a confirmed sighting of the Asian hornet in the Tetbury area of Gloucestershire
The National Bee Unit has confirmed a sighting of the Asian hornet in the Tetbury area of Gloucestershire – the first time the hornet has been discovered in the UK.
The Asian hornet is smaller than our native hornet and poses no greater risk to human health than a bee. However, they do pose a risk to honey bees.
Work to identify, destroy and remove any nests is already underway, which includes:
- setting up a 3 mile surveillance zone around Tetbury
- opening a local control centre to coordinate the response
- deploying bee inspectors across the area who will use infrared cameras and traps to locate any nests
- readying nest disposal experts who will use pesticides to kill the hornets and destroy any nests
Useful identification aids can be found by clicking image above or here
SBA Bee Health Officer Gavin Ramsay says there is no immediate threat to honey bees in Scotland but the confirmation of this pest in the UK is a serious cause for concern.
At this stage we are uncertain how far north this pest will thrive.
Read more...
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American Foulbrood detected in South Aberdeenshire.
An outbreak of American Foulbrood (AFB), a disease affecting colonies of honeybees, has been found in two apiaries in South Aberdeenshire.
The disease was confirmed on Monday, June 13 following laboratory diagnosis by Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA).
The AFB infected hives have been destroyed as there is no permitted treatment for the disease in the UK. There are no risks to public health from AFB and no implications for the quality and safety of honey.
The affected apiaries are located near St Cyrus, South Aberdeenshire and the movement of bees and related equipment into or out of the affected area is prohibited.
Bee farmers and beekeepers are being urged to be vigilant for signs of the disease, to maintain good husbandry practices and to notify any suspicion of disease to Bees_Mailbox@gov.scot. Classic signs of the disease are sunken cappings on cells, which when uncapped reveal dead larvae in various stages of decomposition. The larvae have a caramel like, light to dark brown consistency and when drawn out, the decomposing material strings out rather than snapping off – the roppiness test.
In order to assist Scottish Government Bee Inspectors to control this and other diseases, beekeepers are urged to register on BeeBase, the national bee database. This will give them access to up-to-date information on the control of AFB and bee related issues.
Beekeepers in the area of this outbreak who are not on BeeBase are requested to register at https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/register.cfm or send their contact details to Bees_Mailbox@gov.scot.
Further information can be found HERE